This invention relates to a ski brake having brake shoes arranged at the lateral edges of the ski, which brake shoe portions can be swiveled about axes running across the top of the ski. As described in the parent application, ski brakes having spring portions are known but are generally complex and expensive in nature and generally require relatively complicated spring arrangements. Application Ser. No. 460,532 described a structure which is an improvement over the known apparatus and is advantageous, but has the disadvantage of having only one brake shoe so that, in some circumstances, the braking action is not sufficient to brake the ski to a stop within a short distance under conditions of certain kinds of snow and on steep gradients.
An object of the invention is to provide a ski brake of the type described wherein reliable, rapid braking is obtained even under circumstances of hard snow and severe gradients.
Broadly described, the present invention includes a ski brake securable to the upper surface of the ski and having, laterally of the ski, first and second brake spurs which are pivotable about first and second pivot axes which extend transversely across the upper surface of the ski, and a lever depressible by the ski boot to hold the brake spurs in their rest position parallel with the major surface of the ski, the brake spurs being pivotable into their braking positions by spring action upon removal of the ski boot from the ski binding, the improvement in the present invention comprising a wire bent so that one end portion forms a first one of the brake spurs, the other end portion forms the second one of the brake spurs, a first central portion lies in the first one of the pivot axes, a second central portion is shaped into a holding loop forming a holding lever, and a third central shaft portion lies in the second one of the pivot axes, the first and second axes being parallel and longitudinally spaced apart, the holding loop acting as a spring which moves the brake spurs to their braking position and having two positions, one being against the ski when depressed by the ski boot and the other being away from the ski when the ski boot is removed from the binding.